A Matter Of
by Kiterie
Summary: TeenANBUKakashixGirlGeninIruka A childhood valentine's day story, white day story, and POSSIBLY soon to be a third part... I haven't decided yet I may even write an alternate ending. Setting it as In-Progress for now.
1. A Matter Of Chocolates

Title: A matter of chocolates  
Characters: GirlGenin Iruka, AnbuTeenKakashi  
Summary: Kakashi attempts to make Iruka stop crying  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto does... wish I did but I don't  
Warnings: Gender Bender...  
Dedicated to Beasiesgal

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The little brunette sniffled and hugged her knees, her pony tail swishing as she scrubbed her face on her arms. Kakashi had seen her at the stone several times before, talking to her parents. 'Iruka', he'd heard the third call her that once. She cried a lot when she thought nobody was looking but the minute anyone saw her she'd scrub them away and give the most blindingly bright smiles, like nothing in the world could ever be wrong. He liked that smile, it made him wish he was half as brave as her and didn't have to hide his pain not one but two mask. He'd had the blue one for years but the white one was new, he'd had to add it after Minato-sensei died. Maybe that was why he didn't like to see her cry... why it always caught his attention.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, springing from the tree and landing right in front of her.

Iruka startled and nearly fell over backwards despite the fact she was already sitting. "I wasn't crying," she said wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands, like it could erase the fact. It didn't. The blotchy redness didn't fade and it seemed to make the scar that cut across her nose and cheeks stand out more.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi repeated.

"Nothing... just because nobody wants my stupid chocolates doesn't mean anythings wrong..." Iruka mumbled, looking away, frowning and furrowing her brow. "Valentine's day is stupid anyway."

It was then he noticed the box sitting beside her. He picked it up and pulled the top off. Inside were several very sloppy chocolates, obviously hand-made. "You tried to give these to somebody?"

"Well..." The irritated look fell off Iruka's face and she sighed. "I was going to... but Mizuki showed me the ones Tsubaki gave him and they were perfect and he kept saying how good they were and that'd he'd have to get her something for white day..." She frowned again. "Stupid Tsubaki, stupid Mizuki, stupid Valentine's Day."

"Why didn't you give them to somebody else?" Kakashi asked, setting the box down, not sure why 'Mizuki' was so important.

Iruka sighed and looked away. "Everyone else laughs at me and they'd just laugh more. They don't look very good..."

Kakashi hated sweets, he really did so he wasn't quite sure what possessed him to pick up one of the chocolates and quickly fumble with the masks while she was looking away. It tasted fine, for a chocolate, even if he didn't like them. "They don't taste bad so if they don't want them can I have them?" He didn't want them but she seemed want somebody to want them and if it would stop her crying he would eat them.

She looked up, looked back down at the box, then at him again. "You want them?" Iruka asked, clearly skeptical.

"Yes. Can I have them?" He didn't pick the box back up as he asked, but looked from her to it.

Iruka grinned, picked the box up and haphazardly put the lid back on before shoving it at him. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

It amazed him how the effect that smile had on him. Kakashi felt like he'd been waiting for it the entire time and really he supposed he had. "Thank you..." He took the box then disappeared back into the trees, stopping only once he was out of sight and then only long enough to look back and make sure she was still smiling. She was.


	2. A Matter Of Time

Title: A Matter Of Time (sequel to 'A Matter Of Chocolates')  
Pairing: KakaIru  
Summary: Some things were simply a matter of fact...  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I love to play with them  
Warnings: GeninGIRLIruka aka Genderbender  
Dedication: Beasiesgal

Iruka sat in the tree overlooking the memorial stone, legs swinging back and forth and eyes fixed on the stone. It was the was the perfect picture of 'calm and content' as long as you ignored the way Iruka's fingers dug into the bark of the tree.

"I don't know why you bother sitting here everyday," Hideki said, rolling his eyes at the pony-tailed pre-genin from where he was standing on the ground below. "I doubt that ANBU is going to show up. I'm not even sure he existed in the first place, you probably just made him up."

Tarou laughed and elbowed another boy. "I bet if we go away he'd show up and then we'd get to hear how amazing Iruka's boyfriend is and how he had a mission and that was why he hasn't been around."

The three of them laughed and Iruka spared them an irritated glance. "I never said ANBU-san was my boyfriend."

"Oh so you just wish he was," Yoshi said and then the three of them burst into laughter.

Kakashi watched the entire scene from a distance and frowned. It irritated him to see the boys teasing Iruka. A handsign later and he was hanging upside down from the branch above Iruka's head, his face right in front of hers. "Close your eyes." She did as Kakashi told her and he slid the porcelain mask to the side and pulled the other under his chin. Reaching down and tilting her head back with one hand Kakashi kissed her, softly at first, only deepening it when her lips parted. Pulling away he slid the masks back into place then took her hand and dropped something into it before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

He watched from his perch several trees away as the boys' jaws dropped and Iruka stared wide-eyed at the white porcelain dolphin. The minute Kakashi had seen the keychain he'd thought of her and been unable to resist. His intention had been to give it to her on white day but his return had been delayed by nearly a week due to weather. When she grinned and jumped down out of the tree, sticking her tongue out at the boys, and running off, Kakashi was fairly sure she forgave him the delay.


End file.
